nothing like it...dancing all night at one of the local dico techa. Mucho house music mixed with hip hop, techo, reggaeton...the list goes on and on.
Fresca mojitos begun the evening at our neighbors apartment. Dancing Bachata (DR country music. Basically 3 steps forward 3 steps back with a slight shake of the hips. So i think i mastered that one, and got to continue the lesson at the local fair grounds thats in our neighborhood, named Calle hon de la leon(?). The fair was packed with everyone in the neighborhood. The mood is divertir (fun) spirited and contento (happy). Bachata is addicting and as soon as you start moving your hips with the music it transforms everyone into lean mean dancing machines. I couldn't stop moving! Its such a polar opposite from what i'm used to estados unidos (United states). When i dance at home if i can find i partner (male or female) that can keep up with me its really hard to integrate different dancing styles...but here the kids are experts and I happily danced with many really fun partners! Even though the music is not rapido (fast) but the beat is stedy and the music is loud. By having a dance with actaully steps, just a little bit of structure makes dancing simpler to understand. No one here "does not know how to dance." It just doesn't exist (my opinion of coarse). Children are born into a culture that places a very strong emphasis on community, party, and drinking. So everyone is very good at having a good time. And the mood is contagious and i probably had one of the best nights in the DR last night. Minus the lack of sleep that has been hounding me for the past week or so. If its not the rooster in the morning its the dogs. If not the dogs then some massive pre-historic insect that is biting me under my sheets, desacrating my cocoon sanctury (my travel sheet that is sewed on both sides) that in my mind is bug proof, insect proof and would no way in hell have a hug mosquito living and feeding on my inspecting flash. Alas, that is EXACTLY what has been happening to me in my room while i try to sleep. BUT i saw the biggest bloodest mosquito this morning that has finally run out of lives, quizas (perhaps) now i can sleep in my bed without being awoken by huge insanely itchy welts that last for days and days.
So after many hours of rather provacative dancing had by me and my counter parts, yo y amigo Baca went next store to the local colmado, where the music is just as loud, but the lights are bright, the sitting space is many and the drinks are cheap. After purchasing dos cuebra libras (rum and coke) we sat and habla espaniol para mucho minutos. (spoke spanish for many minutes, probably like an hour!) I am so surprised that I actually have that much to say in spanish! I haven't been speaking that much spanish, but i am definitely making a conserted effort to try harder and study vocabularuy and verbs. I talked mostly in spanish all day yesterday, even though my pronoucion is malo (bad) and my sentences are short and choppy i have been having surprising luck in getting my point across. It also doesn't hurt that most of the kids that live here and work at the beach get lots of practica habla inglas y mucho otro languages (practice talking english and other languages) so when i get stuck i ask them a word and depending on the person, they might know. Its nice to find someone on the same level. Amie is just so advanced compared to me and she doesn't really seem to enjoy teaching me correct pronouncion...she simply thinks its funny that i suck so bad. But she is an asset to my life here in Carbarete...but how much i love getting away and talking to people and simply enjoying myself. Every one is So friendly here, and very laid back and caring. Not like in america where it seems like people are afraid to smile or laugh, not to mention to actually touch people. Around here random people i walk by will just shake my hand. No verbal communication at all, just eye contact and a sweet gesture. Its quite an enjoyable experience to be immersed in a culture that doesn't revolve around time and work (not to say that there is not room for improvement, this is a thrid world country...definitely in need of more structure, school and various actividads to keep everyone busy and off the streets drinking) but for a laid back little beach town, its perfecto para me. (perfect for me).
Looking in to language schools.
Chow
Amalea
